


Yuletide

by GwynCat



Series: Turning of the Wheel [2]
Category: Dearg Dorcha, Original Work
Genre: Dearg Dorcha - Fandom, Pagan Festivals, Side Story, Yuletide 2019, amateur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:14:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22026907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GwynCat/pseuds/GwynCat
Summary: piseag : kittenpiseagan : kittens
Series: Turning of the Wheel [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585492
Collections: Dearg Dorcha





	Yuletide

" Why is it so **cold!** "

The Cat sìth next to Eithne only rolled her eyes. 

" Because we're in the Highlands and it's snowing." The two Cat sìth continued hiking up the mountain. Eithne pulled her cloak tighter around herself as best she could with one arm. Heledd and Eithne were carrying a pine tree back to Heledd's camp.

" Why do we even need this tree anyway!? It's not like we won't find one at the camp!" Eithne whined to her older sister, Heledd, who again rolled her eyes.

" It's to welcome spring into our camp, Eithne. You've celebrated Yule before." 

" This is different!" 

" Not really."

" I'm here instead of at home! I've been here for weeks and It's only getting colder!" Eithne whined. Heledd was getting tired of it. 

" Will you just fucking shut up!," Heledd spun to glare at her sister, who finally stopped whining. " Oh!,You don't like the cold, you don't like climbing the mountain, you don't like the furs, you don't like this or that, You are a bitch!" 

"..."

Heledd continued ranting.

" We are trying to make sure you enjoy it here, but no, you just complain about everything!," Heledd's gaze softened " I get it you want to go home, but you're too young to fight in this war. You're only 10, Eithne, We can't put you in danger like that."

Eithne didn't say anything, just staring at the snow covered,rocky ground. The small Cat sìth wanted to go home to Scotland. She hadn't been home since Queen Eleri started that war, which was months ago. 

"...how much longer is this war?"

" Don't know, Eithne. It could be years." Heledd sighed as Eithne's eyes widened

" YEARS!? It don't want to stay here for years!" Eithne cried. Heledd put down her side of the Pine and hugged Eithne.

" I know,maybe Morag will let you join the fight if you do a good job with your training." Heledd attempted to comfort the small Cat sìth .Then she got an idea.

" Eithne~," She grinned " A little birdy told me that Morag and Emer might stop by for Yule~"

It worked.

" Really!?" 

Heledd nodded

" Yes, but that means we need to prepare for Yule."

Eithne began bouncing excitedly and grabbed the Pine tree, dragging along the ground. She attempted to run, the tree slowing her down. Heledd snorted and picked up the other side of the tree,helping her little sister carry it to camp.

* * *

" _WehavethetreeWehavethetreeWehavethetreeWehavethetree!_ " Eithne chanted as she and her sister walked into camp with the Pine tree. Their cousins looked up from their Yuletide preparations. Márí, Eithne and Heledd's sister walked over.

" Hey Heledd!," she turns to Eithne " Hello Piseag!"

" Hey." " Hi Márí !"

Márí looked at the snow covered tree. 

"You've got a good one! " 

Eithne beamed with pride, while bouncing and shivering. Heledd smirked and tossed her shall over Eithne's head, earning a indignant cry. Eithne pulled the shall off her face, sticking her tounge at her big sister. Márí shook her head at the two.

" Come on dorks before Yule's over."

" Márí!," Eithne chatted excitedly running up to her sister " I heard Morag and Emer are coming!"

Márí stared for a second before looked away, scratching the back of her neck.

"...Um, Eithne, I think their a little busy to visit."

Aoife stopped bouncing 

" What?"

Heledd looked between Eithne and Márí a few times. Then she stared signaling to Márí to stop. The blonde didn't get the hint and continued.

"Well Piseag, Morag has to lead the fight, and it's not safe for Emer to travel alone and-"   
"-And They'll do their best to visit us!" then Heledd gritted her teeth looking angrly at her younger sister " Isn't that right _**Márí**_?"

Márí looked at Eithne who was about to cry that Heledd who looked like she was about to punch her. she finally got the hint.

"Y-yeah! They'll do their best to visit us for Yule!" she scratched her neck again before bending down to wipe up her sister's tears.

" Um... Ooh!" Márí's face lightened up and she grabbed Eithne's face in her hands " How about you help with the garlands? Kelly would just **love** the help, wouldn't you Kelly?"

" Oh? Sure!" The Cat sìth waved the ten year old over to her. Eithne flashed her wide grin and skipped over to help weave a wreath.

* * *

Kelly and Eithne kneeled by the unlit bonfire. 

"Remember Eithne, **I'm** the one lighting the fire **don't** mess with it."

The younger pouted.

" But **I** wanna light it!"

" No, what you're going to do, is you're going to hold the Yule log!" She took a deep breath " How about this? You can put the log onto the fire!"

She clapped enthusiastically with an exaggerated expression on her face. Eithne's deepened her pout and rolled her eyes.

" Soo, how are you two Piseagan ?" 

The girls looked to see Heledd leaning on a tree and Márí standing close by.

" Good "

" Kelly won't let me light the Yule log!" Eithne whined

Heledd gave a mock look of sympathy while Márí rolled her eyes.

" Oh Kelly, you bein' mean?" Heledd asked winking 

" She'll get burned!" Kelly squawked 

" I'm just kiddin' , Kelly." Heledd whispered in her ear.

" Oh."

Márí grabbed the Yule log from her sister and placed it on the Alter. 

" Kelly, give me a torch."

" We should wait for the others."

" Yeah!"

Márí went to the giant rock in the middle of the camp.

" Oi! We are lighting the log now! "

The Cat sìth got up from their various tasks and gathered by the bonfire.Some still messing with garlands and knitting clothing.

" Arlene, hand me the torch there please."

Arlene handed the torch to Heledd. She lowered the torch onto the pile of twigs that ignited into the bonfire, Márí tossed the Yule log onto the fire. Fionn held a bowl of steaming water and a handful off holly and bay leaves. Márí and Heledd went to sit down next to their cousins,and Eithne

The family sat next to each other,staring at the fire while the bowl was being passed around. Márí nudged Eithne and passed her the bowl. The water had become lukewarm and was filled with leaves. Her sister held out the handful of herbs, Eithne grabbed a holly leaf and closed her eyes. She dropped the holly leaf into the bowl. Eithne looked around and realized that she was the last one. Kelly nodded toward the Alter, the smaller Cat sìth got the hint and stood up. She carefully placed the bowl on the Alter then sat down near the bonfire.

The family stared at the fire, watching it dance as the sky got darker and the air got colder, encouraging the Cat sìth to cuddle together under wool blankets.

**Author's Note:**

> piseag : kitten  
> piseagan : kittens


End file.
